Sam Cooke's visionary take on pop and soul blazed a path for equally talented acolytes
Otis Redding and
Al Green. At the time of his violent death in 1964, Cooke was transitioning from a sophisticated pop crooner to a more socially conscious artist, using more complex arrangements and delving into deeper subject matter, such as the civil rights movement. Recorded at a point when the late vocalist had fought for and won total control over his artistic output, the 23-track
Keep Movin' On consists of Cooke's last sessions, most of which are available on other collections, along with a pair of previously unreleased cuts. Much-loved classics such as the thumping "Shake" and the sweet shuffle "Another Saturday Night" share space with more lighthearted fare like a chugging cover of Patti Page's "Tennessee Waltz" and the snappy, Dixieland-flavored "Cousin of Mine." While Cooke effortlessly churned out upbeat numbers, it's soul-stirring gospel songs like "That's Where It's At" and "(Somebody) Ease My Troublin' Mind" that reveal the depth and power of his voice. Glaringly absent from the otherwise stellar four-disc Cooke box set,
The Man Who Invented Soul, but thankfully included on this collection is Cooke's greatest achievement and legacy -- the gorgeous "A Change Is Gonna Come," a lushly orchestrated civil rights anthem written in response to Bob Dylan's "Blowin' in the Wind." Rounding out the set, the previously unreleased and more pop-oriented title track and "I'm Just a Country Boy" hint at the great heights Sam Cooke might have achieved had fate not intervened.
![Title: Big Little Lies [Original TV Soundtrack]](https://prodimage.images-bn.com/pimages/0018771841425_p0_v1_s90x140.jpg)
